Sioux City Journal's Scores

  • TV
For 342 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 58% higher than the average critic
  • 4% same as the average critic
  • 38% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.5 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average TV Show review score: 72
Highest review score: 100 The Bear: Season 4
Lowest review score: 25 Almost Family: Season 1
Score distribution:
  1. Mixed: 0 out of 243
  2. Negative: 0 out of 243
243 tv reviews
  1. Gleeson, meanwhile, would work well in any iteration of a newspaper story. He exudes sincerity and isn’t afraid to pitch in and report. He’s a keeper. Some of the others just need a little more time.
  2. “Alien: Earth” is a lavish production – more so than any of the films in the canon – but just as claustrophobic and, easily, as memorable.
  3. All very simple, “Leanne’ puts into play what Morgan describes on stage. The anecdotes wear well with others sharing the comedy but, too often, the star is left to reflect others’ glory.
  4. “Back to the Frontier” may not be as titillating as “Naked and Afraid,” but it’s one reality show that certainly shows what happens when the shine is off the rose. It’s a keeper.
  5. Go into "The Bear" with the right mindset and you'll discover it's the best drama on television.
  6. “Adults” is very adult and may take some time to warm to, particularly since it’s impossible to get a bead on Samir, Billie, Paul Baker, Issa and Anton.
  7. If there’s a disappointment, it’s that Reubens doesn’t open up more about his feelings during the scandalous times. .... What “Pee-wee as Himself” does provide is a look at the building blocks that made the quirky character.
  8. It's bursting with ideas initially but once it leans into to specifics it becomes the series you may just want to embrace. Barinholtz and Wonders are great support; O'Hara may well have found her new "Schitt's Creek." Rogen, though, needs a chill pill.
  9. "Etoile" (which means "star" in French) wants to be more high-brow than it should. The dances are beautiful, but the characters shouldn't have to walk in others' toe shoes. We've seen the petulance, the bickering, the histrionics before. .... And the cast? It's too large for something that's already unwieldy. Eliminating the side stories (did we need Jack's sister in this?) could put the focus where it needs to be: creating art in a bankrupt society.
  10. It's a hit-and-miss proposition that works every time Kerri Kenney-Silver is on screen.
  11. While “Mid-Century Modern” has plenty of laughs (and takes you away from contemporary troubles), there’s something a bit off with a series this specific. Finding that relevance (as “Will & Grace” did) may take time, even if that clock is barely ticking.
  12. While “Gemstones” doesn’t bite the religious hand quite the way it did in previous seasons, it does conclude without a big sermon. Aimee-Leigh might have delivered the message in song. But the way Jesse, Judy and Kelvin do it is quite good – and just the farewell we need until they return with a big “Gemstones” movie.
  13. Although she [Jennifer Coolidge] lit up two seasons of the quirky Mike White drama, she has a kindred spirit in Parker Posey, who takes the third season to her own offbeat heights. .... “The White Lotus,” season three, is a bit more lush than the previous two and stuffed with phrases you’ll be hearing for months to come.
  14. While “The Pitt” hits familiar notes (overcrowding is still a problem; understaffing is a given), it benefits from the “24” approach to storytelling. After one episode, it’s impossible to leave the “day in the life.” Binging is a likely diagnosis.
  15. “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” is a fascinating dissection of the series’ later years. .... “More Cowbell” makes a little too much out of the sketch (particularly when there are others that deserve the micro-surgery) but it shows how that defining moment can be the difference between success and failure.
  16. “Shifting Gears” plays into the hands of audiences who loved its two stars. Neither goes too far afield from the personalities they helped create. While Dennings often seems like she’s on an uphill climb, Allen seems to be idling.
  17. Better than “Goliath," “Landman” lets Thornton convey the emotions that color a “cigarettes and Dr Pepper” kind of guy. The role fits better than a well-worn pair of jeans and, like his trusty boots, never lets him down. He’s one of the best actors of the season in a show that could be one of the best of this or any year.
  18. Leaning into the community (what are Oregon’s strengths, for example) and showing Joyce out in it, would give “St. Denis” the specificity it needs. It’s a fun half-hour. It just needs to uncover situations everyone can identify.
  19. The new series has enough hallmarks of the old to please O.G. viewers and snag new ones. Key to much of the new fun is how exacting Thiele is at suggesting the younger Henrie. He’s a dead ringer for the dad and a fine comedian. Brown has hints of Gomez but she’s blazing her own trail, particularly since we’re not sure where she’s from or why she’s here.
  20. The key to making this work (even though 10 episodes are more than plenty) is Josh Rivera as Hernandez.
  21. Director Kimmy Gatewood makes sure the first episodes have force and takes full advantage of the spackling Martindale can do. Fewer bromides might make this a better series but it takes the Hallmark model and turns it ever so slightly so newcomers can find a handle. Like “Desperate Housewives,” “Chicken Sisters” delights in its ability to shock and thaw.
  22. “English Teacher” takes a while to heat up. But when you get to episode six of the new FX comedy, you’ll be hooked. There, Linda Harrison (Jenn Lyon) enters the picture and demonstrates what kind of challenges teachers face today. .... It’s a great addition to cable’s curriculum and a chance for the oh-so-talented Alvarez to show the breadth of his resume. But Jenn Lyon? She’s one to watch.
  23. While it’s too early to determine where this is going (even they admit “we’ve been very lucky with people dying in our building”), it could unravel in interesting ways.
  24. While “Hacks” isn’t as ruthless as it was in its infancy, it does have moments where Smart can bear her claws. .... When Deborah gets a guest spot, “Hacks” hits its apex and puts everyone on alert. It’s the season’s best episode and yet another reason Smart is the best female in a comedy series, hands-down.
  25. While “Dinner with the Parents” doesn’t seem like it will last 10 years, it could surprise in ways we haven’t imagined. As long as the entrée is good, you can serve it every time guests come over.
  26. Shephard (and others) muddy the waters with detail that isn’t necessary. Gladstone gets her own family disconnects and has a tie to Reena that makes the case important. But Godfrey’s approach doesn’t always emerge as acceptable. To fully understand what’s at play, “Under the Bridge” needed footnotes that didn’t require whole episodes of backstory.
  27. While Patricia Highsmith’s novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and the film it spawned were engrossing, “Ripley” takes the skill to a different level. .... A technicolor Italy is certainly attractive, but a black-and-white one demands attention. Zaillian doesn’t waste the conceit. He gets high drama from crashing waves and a performance from Scott that embraces more than 50 shades of gray.
  28. This “Feud” is like a phone tree, adding strength as it pushes out. Hollander knows how to get under Capote's skin. He just never makes him likable enough to justify the women’s attention even in the good days. Where “Feud” succeeds is in recreating the world they inhabited.
  29. Very 1980s in his approach to storytelling. .... O’Malley has a bunch of balls in the air (we still can’t figure out why the washer/dryer combo is in the kitchen) and a nimble cast to juggle them. Spencer is the real surprise, able to volley jokes just as well as Faison and Cryer. The kids are pretty sharp, too.
  30. Created by Noah Hawley, the new season is among the series’ best, using wild characters and round-about storytelling to pull you in. By the second episode, you will be hooked.

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